Embossed velvet jacquard towels

ABSTRACT

Processes for forming embossed terry towels and the resulting towels are described herein. The towels have an uneven surface. Thus, the background can be at one height, and the design can be at another height, which is typically higher than the background. The process involves twisting the pile warp that will be used for the design on the towel with PVA filament yarn. The remaining pile warp, which is used to form the background, is 100% cotton. The pile warp is then woven with the ground warp and weft warp to form the towel. The towel is subject to a steaming process, which shrinks the PVA/cotton pile fibers, but does not affect the 100% cotton fibers. The PVA/cotton pile fibers shrink to at least about 50% of their original length under tension free conditions. The towel is then subjected to shearing to produce a velour texture. Due to the shrinkage of the PVA/cotton pile yarns, only the background (100% cotton) pile is cut, and the shrunk pile remains uncut. This towel is then washed in water a high temperature to dissolve the PVA yarns. In the preferred embodiment the temperature of the water is in the range of 55-95° C. This washing dissolves the PVA component in the PVA twisted pile, thereby lifting the uncut pile to its full height. The resulting towel has a sheared background, which produces a velvet effect, and an uncut design, thereby producing an embossing effect on background.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No.60/438,562, filed Jan. 6, 2003, entitled “Embossed Velvet JacquardTowels” to Rajesh Mandavewala.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to processes for making towels. Inparticular, the invention is directed at producing jacquard towels withan embossed effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Jacquard towels have designs all over the towel. Most of thejacquard towels that are produced as beach towels are velour towels. Inthis case, the loop piles are sheared on the face shade to produce avelvet effect. Alternatively, jacquard towels may be used as bath orhand and wash towels. These can also be sheared to produce a velveteffect.

[0004] During the process of shearing both the design and the background are sheared on one side of the towel. This results in plainvelvet, or velour, towels, with all of the fibers/yarns at a uniformheight on the sheared side. Even for a non-velour jacquard towel, thefibers/yarns which make up the design or motif and the background are ofa uniform height. However, there is no method for producing towels withfibers/yarns of a different height, such as to distinguish thebackground from the design or motif.

[0005] Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide methodsfor producing towels with fibers at different heights to distinguish thedesign from the background.

[0006] It is also an object of the invention to provide towels whichhave motifs or designs at one height and a background at a differentheight.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Processes for forming embossed terry towels and the resultingtowels are described herein. The towels have an uneven surface. Thebackground can be at one height, and the design can be at anotherheight, which is typically higher than the background.

[0008] The process involves twisting the pile warp that will be used forthe design on the towel with PVA filament yarn. The remaining pile warp,which is used to form the background, is 100% cotton. The pile warp isthen woven with the ground warp and weft warp to form the towel. Thetowel is subject to a steaming process, which shrinks the PVA/cottonpile fibers, but does not affect the 100% cotton fibers. The PVA/cottonpile fibers shrink to at least about 50% of their original length undertension free conditions. The towel is then subjected to shearing toproduce a velour texture. Due to the shrinkage of the PVA/cotton pileyarns, only the background (100% cotton) pile is cut, and the shrunkpile remains uncut. This towel is then washed in water at a hightemperature to dissolve the PVA yarns. In the preferred embodiment thetemperature of the water is in the range of 55-95° C. This washingdissolves the PVA component in the PVA twisted pile, thereby lifting theuncut pile to its full height. The resulting towel has a shearedbackground, which produces a velvet effect, and an uncut design, therebyproducing an embossing effect on background.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] I. Embossed Towels

[0010] The finished towels contain 100% cotton material. The towel maybe of any design and size. Typical towel sizes include beach, bath,hand, and wash towels. The finished towel has an embossed effect,typically with the background shorter than the design on the towel.Alternatively, the design may be shorter than the background of thetowel.

[0011] A. Ground, Pile and Weft Yarns

[0012] Terry towels are formed from three types of yarn. The first typeof yarn is the ground warp. The ground warp is the longitudinal set ofyarn forming the base fabric. The second type of yarn is the pile warp.The pile warp is placed in the longitudinal direction and produces thepile loops on the towel surface. The pile loops provide a large surfacearea to maximize the absorption of water. The designs of the jacquardtowels appear on the surface of the pile yarn. The third type of yarn isthe weft yarn. The weft yarns are laid perpendicular to the pile yarns,and interlace with pile or ground yarn to form the fabric of the towel.The ground, pile and weft yarns are typically 100% cotton yarn. Thecount covers a broad range, including Ne 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s, 2/24s.The cotton yarn may be either combed or carded.

[0013] Typical pile yarns used in jacquard towels include: (1) Ne 12scarded with 3.6 TM/12.47 TPI in ‘Z’ direction; (2) Ne 13.5s carded with3.6 TM/13.22 TPI in ‘Z’ direction; (3) Ne 16s carded with 3.6 TM/14.50TPI in ‘Z’ direction; and (4) Ne 2/24s carded with 2.45 TM/8.50 TPI in‘S’ direction. Examples of typical cotton pile yarns are listed inTable 1. TABLE 1 TM AND TPI FOR CARDED AND COMBED COTTON PILE YARNSCarded Combed Count TM TPI TM TPI Ne 12s 3.6 12.47 ‘Z’ 3.4 11.78 ‘Z’ Ne13.5s 3.6 13.22 ‘Z’ 3.4 12.50 ‘Z’ Ne 16s 3.6 14.50 ‘Z’ 3.4 13.60 ‘Z’

[0014] B. Polyvinyl Alcohol Yarn

[0015] Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) yarn is a synthetic yarn, which is easilydissolved by warm or hot water, without the aid of any chemical agents.Due to its ready solubility, these yarns can not be used for ordinarywear fabrics.

[0016] The counts for suitable PVA yarns cover a broad range, andinclude 31 Dtex, 40 Dtex, 44 Dtex, 62 Dtex, and 84 Dtex. As the filamentbecomes finer, the amount of PVA in the twisted yarn decreases. Forexample, 31 Dtex is the finest available filament and contains thesmallest amount of PVA. The preferred PVA filament is 84 Dtex. 84 DtexPVA yarn improves the performance on the looms and the sharpness of theresulting embossed design.

[0017] One type of PVA filament yarn is manufactured by NITIVY Co.(Japan) and marketed under the brand name SOLVRON®. These PVA yarns haveshrinkages ranging from 35 to 60% when subjected to steaming undertension free conditions. Tables 2 and 3 list types of multifilament andmonofilament SOLVRON® PVA yarns and their solubility, dissolution andshrinkage properties. TABLE 2 TYPES OF PVA MULTIFILAMENT YARNS AND THEIRCHARACTERISTICS Type SH SM SL SX SS SP SF SHC** *Temp. for 95 95 70 6030 25 55 90 Dissolution (° C.) Tenacity 3.5-4.5 1.5-2.5 3.5-6     2-4.53.5-4.5 3-4 3.4-4.4 4-5 (grm/d.) (Dry) Elongation 12-16 30-40 10-2015-25 10-20 25-35 12-25 10-20 (%) Solubility 93 ± 3  90 ± 3  50 ± 5  36± 4  20 ± 5  15 ± 5  36 ± 5  85 ± 5  in Water (° C.) Maximum 45-50 35-4050-60 45-60 — — 40-55 55-60 Shrinkage (%) Temp. for 85 85 25 20 20 75Maximum Shrinkage (° C.) Shrinkage 2-7  5-10 50-60 45-60 — — — 45-50 inwater at 25° C. (%) (Tension Free) Shrinking 0.05-0.1  0.05-1   0.05-1  0.05-1   — — — 0.3-0.4 Strength (grm/d) (In water at 25° C.) Sizes 28D/56D/ 28D/  28D/  56D/ 56D/ 31 28D/9F  9F 12F  9F  9F 18F 18F DT 56D/40D/  40D/ 100D/ 75D/ 44  75D/ 18F 12F 12F 30F 25F DT 24F 75D/  56D/200D/ 100D/  62 100D/ 20F 18F 60F 30F DT 30F 100D/  100D/ 84 225D/ 30F20F DT 100F  200D/ 110  40F DT 300D/ 220  50F DT 600D/ 330  50F DT 600D/660  100F  DT 900D/ 150F 

[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the PVA filament is a SL, SX, or SFtype of yarn, which dissolves at a temperature within the range of 55 to80° C. For example, the PVA filament may be: (1) 44 dtex/12 filament SXor SF, which is soluble at 60 to 70° C. in water, with shrinkage of 45to 60% in water at 20° C. under tension-free conditions; (2) 62 dtex/18filament SX or SF type soluble at 60 to 70° C. in water, with ashrinkage of 45 to 60% in water at 20° C. under tension-free conditions;or (3) 84 dtex/20 filament SX or SF type soluble at 60 to 70° C. inwater, with a shrinkage of 45 to 60% in water at 25° C. undertension-free conditions. TABLE 3 TYPES OF PVA MONOFILAMENT YARNS ANDTHEIR CHARACTERISTICS Type MH ML *Temp. for 95 70 Dissolution (° C.)Tenacity (Dry) 3-4 3-4 (grm/d.) Elongation 15-20 15-20 (%) Solubility inWater (° C.) 85 ± 5 60 ± 5  Maximum Shrinkage (%) 45-50 40-45 Temp. forMaximum 65 25 Shrinkage (° C.) Shrinkage in water at 25° C. 33-38 40-45(%) (Tension Free) Shrinking Strength (grm/d)  0.1-0.13  0.1-0.13 (Inwater at 25° C.) Sizes 30D/1F  30D/1F 45D/1F  45D/1F 675D/15F 

[0019] II. Process for Making Embossed Towels

[0020] A. Preparation of PVA/cotton pile yarn

[0021] The first stage for making the embossed towels is the preparationof PVA filament twisted pile yarn. The pile yarn is 100% cotton yarn.Typical counts include 12 s, 13.5s, 14s, and 16s. The TM for cardedcotton is 3.8 in the Z direction and ranges from 3.4 to 3.6 in the Zdirection for combed cotton yarns. In the preferred embodiment, thecotton yarn that is twisted with the PVA filament is: (1) Ne 12s cardedwith 3.6 TM, with a 12.47 TPI in ‘Z’ direction; (2) Ne 13.5s carded with3.6 TM, with a 13.22 TPI in ‘Z’ direction; or (3) Ne 16s carded with 3.6TM, with a 14.50 TPI in ‘Z’ direction.

[0022] The Noil for combed cotton yarns ranges from 10% to 22%, and maybe 10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, or 22%. In the preferred embodiment,the Ne 2/24s carded with 2.45 TM, with a 8.50 TPI in ‘S’ direction fiberis used as pile yarn in the background. The yarns are dyed to thedesired shade before they are twisted with PVA fibers.

[0023] The carded or combed cotton yarn is then wound onto soft packagesfor dyeing or bleaching. Perforated plastic tubes are wound with yarnuntil the diameter is from 90 to 92 mm, resulting in a density of 36 to40 gms/liter.

[0024] The yarn is then dyed or bleached in a yarn dying machine (e.g.Eco-bloc) using the standard procedure.

[0025] The dyed or bleached yarn is wound onto paper tubes (1.1 kgpackage).

[0026] The dyed or bleached pile yarn is assembled on an Assembly Winderwith a PVA filament and wound onto cheeses, where both of the yarns arelaid parallel to each other. Typically, the PVA filament is at zerotension. Typically, the cotton pile yarn is under tension at index 4. Inthe preferred embodiment, the Assembly Winder is run at speed of 400 to450 meters/minute. The resulting yarn weighs 1.100 kgs.

[0027] The assembled packages are put into the Two for One (TFO) Twisterpots and twisted in ‘S’ direction. In the preferred embodiment, thespeed of the TFO Twister is set and maintained at 10,500 rpm.Optionally, the capsule in the tension device is removed and anadditional metal washer is inserted on the flyer to even out the tensionon the TFO for successful twisting.

[0028] The twist per inch (TPI) employed in the TFO is 2.0 TPI more thanthe single yarn, i.e. for Ne 12s carded the doubling TPI will be 14.47in ‘S’ direction, for Ne 13.5s carded, it will be 15.22 in ‘S’ directionand for Ne 16s carded it will be 16.50 in ‘S’ direction. The TPI mayexceed these values by +0.5.

[0029] Table 4 lists the resultant count and percentage of PVA indifferent combinations of PVA/cotton pile yarn. TABLE 4 Resultant Countand % PVA in Twisted Yarn Resultant Count Cotton Yarn twisted with PVAYarn [Ne] % of PVA Ne 12s + 44 dtex 11.00 8.25 Ne 12s + 62 dtex 10.6611.20 Ne 12s + 84 dtex 10.24 14.65 Ne 13.5s + 44 dtex 12.26 9.20 Ne13.5s + 62 dtex 11.83 12.42 Ne 13.5s + 84 dtex 11.32 16.19 Ne 16s + 44dtex 14.28 10.71 Ne 16s + 62 dtex 13.69 14.38 Ne 16s + 84 dtex 13.0218.60

[0030] All of the PVA will ultimately dissolve in water and be washedaway. This weight loss provision should be accounted for whendetermining on the grams per square meter (gsm) of the towel.

[0031] The twisted yarn is wound onto cones (e.g. paper tubes) on theTFO and sent to Weaving Preparatory for warping. The package weight isaround 1.75 to 2.0 kgs. No special care is required in warping, exceptto ensure that the yarn passage is smooth at contact points to preventthe PVA yarn from bunching. During warping, the tension on both PVAtwisted yarn and cotton yarn can be kept at around 40 to 45 gms andspeed of the warping around 600 meters per minute (mpm).

[0032] B. Weaving the Pile, Weft, and Ground Fibers

[0033] The standard weaving procedures for making jacquard towels areused. On the loom also no special arrangements or changes are required.Under normal conditions, a loom efficiency of 78 to 83% can be achieved.

[0034] C. Steaming the Towels

[0035] After weaving, the towels are subjected to steaming to shrink thePVA/cotton pile to about 50%. The 100% cotton fiber is conditioned bythe steaming process, while the PVA/cotton twisted fiber shrinks.

[0036] The process of steaming is a continuous one. The steam injectedinside the steaming chamber is fully saturated steam at 90-102° C. Thefabric remains within the steaming chamber for approximately 10-20minutes. In the preferred embodiment, the fabric remains in the steamingchamber for 20 minutes. The fabric is immediately dried upon exiting thesteam chamber. In the preferred embodiment, the fabric is dried in aninfra-red ray drying chamber attached to the steamer.

[0037] Under these conditions, the PVA twisted yarn shrinks by at least45%, thus giving the desired results for subsequent shearing. Forexample, if the pile height of the PVA twisted cotton yarn wasoriginally 4.5 mm and if the yarn shrinks by about 50%, then the yarnwill shrink to a height of 2.25 mm.

[0038] D. Shearing the 100% Pile Yarn

[0039] The towels are then sheared on a Shearing Machine in the standardmanner. The cutter or laser blade setting must be set close enough tocut the 100% cotton pile, but not so low as to cut the shrunkenPVA/cotton pile. Typically, the 100% cotton pile will be cut by about1.5-2.0 mm. For example, if the 100% pile has a height of about 4.5 mmand 1.5 mm of the pile are sheared, then the resulting height of the100% cotton yarn is 3.0 mm. If the PVA/cotton pile shrunk by 50% duringthe steaming (to about 2.25 mm), then the PVA/cotton pile will not besheared during this process.

[0040] E. Dissolving the PVA Fiber

[0041] The towels are then washed in water at a temperature ranging from55-95° C. Preferably, the temperature ranges from 100-120° C. This stepmay occur in a fabric dying machine. The PVA is difficult to dissolve ifit is in the presence of salts, such as sodium sulfate and sodiumchloride; alkali, such as caustic soda; heavy metals, such as chromium;formalin; or reactive dyes. Therefore, the vessel in which thedissolution step occurs should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed beforeloading it with the towel material.

[0042] The liquor ratio is a ratio of the material (weight) to water(volume). The liquor ratio should be sufficient to facilitate promptdissolution of the PVA, while allowing free movement of the fabric.Typically the liquor ratio is 1:30. The material is wound into a ropeprior to entering the dissolution step. The rotation of the material isessential to promote rapid dissolution. A continual overflow of water isalso desired.

[0043] After washing, the water is drained and fresh water is injectedfor rinsing to eliminate all the dissolved PVA. The water is at atemperature ranging from 55-100° C. Preferably, the water is at a hightemperature, such as 95° C. The PVA coagulates during the dissolvingstep and promptly dissolves in hot water if the high temperature ismaintained. Therefore, the fabric should be rinsed in hot water afterdraining to wash away any PVA residue.

[0044] F. Drying and Straightening the Towels

[0045] After unloading the material from the washing and rinsing vessel,the material is hydro-extracted in a Hydro-extractor in the standardmanner. The rope is passed through rope opener to straighten the twistin the rope and the material is then passed through a hot air dryer(e.g. Alea) in the standard manner.

[0046] The uncut pile (i.e. formerly PVA/cotton pile) raises and attainsfull height during hot-air drying and drum beating attached to thedryer. After the drying step, the fabric is sent through a weftstraightener and then to a stenter to straighten the fabric and returnit to its proper dimensions.

[0047] The remaining procedures, including length cutting, lengthhemming, cross cutting, cross hemming, checking, folding, and packagingare performed according to the standard practice.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Production of Embossed Velvet Jacquard Bath Towel

[0048] The pile yarn was 2/24s KC dyed yarn for the background pile and11.5 PVA/cotton 13.5×62 dtex PVA, 15.5 TPI (87% cotton and 13% PVA)white, bleached yarn for the design pile. The number of pile ends was888, and the pile weight was 404 kg. The ground warp was 2/24 KC dyedyarn. The ground warp had 1016 ends and weighed 68.89 kg. Two types ofweft yarn were used. One was 16s KC dyed, with 2418 picks and a weightof 71.77 kg, and the other was 2/24 KC dyed, with 180 picks and a weightof 7.12 kg.

[0049] The pile, ground and weft yarns were woven together under normalconditions. The loom was run at 250 rpm. Table 5 lists thespecifications for the weaving process. TABLE 5 On loom specificationsReed space for terry  75.26 cm Reed space for towel  80.26 cm Number oftowels per Reed Space  4 Reed space utilization 327.03 cm Pile Ratio 6.89 Pile height  5.7 mm Ends/cm  11.81 Picks/inch  45.72 Type of Terry3 pick Rpm 250 Finished Ends/inch pile  32.19

[0050] The properties of the fabric when it is removed from the loom,i.e. the grey towel, are listed in Table 6. TABLE 6 Grey TowelSpecifications Grey width  74.13 cm Grey length 141.40 cm Weight oftowel 558.90 g Plain portion in width   5.0 cm Plain portion in length  8.0 cm Weight of Grey Towel 558.90 g Terry portion in length  133.0 cmSelvedge to selvedge width  79.13 cm

[0051] Following weaving, the towels were subjected to steaming at 90°C. for about 2 minutes to ensure that the PVA twisted pile yarn shrunkto at least 50%. Meanwhile, the 100% cotton pile was conditioned. Thesteaming and setting was done on the shearing machine, which contained aspecial steaming attachment. The fabric stayed about 1 to 2 minutes withsteam before it was sent to be pleated in the trolley through thepleater.

[0052] Then the towels were then sheared on the Shearing Machine. Thespeed of shearing machine was 8 to 10 meters/minute. The cutter/laserblade was set to cut the 100% cotton pile by about 1.5 to 2.0 mm toproduce a velvet background.

[0053] The towels were then washed in a fabric dying machine at 70 to80° C. with a liquor ratio or 1:30 for about 15 to 20 minutes. The waterwas drained at 95 to 100° C., and fresh hot water at a temperature of95° C. was injected for rinsing to eliminate all of the dissolved PVA.

[0054] After the material was removed from the dying machine, it washydro-extracted in the Hydro-extractor.

[0055] The rope was untwisted in the rope opener. The material was thendried by passage through a hot air dryer (Alea). The full width fabricwas then passed through a hot air stenter, which was attached with aweft straightener, to recover the dimensions of the towel.

[0056] After drying and straightening, the towels were then carriedthrough length cutting, length hemming, cross cutting, cross hemming,and folding according to standard procedures. The properties of thefinished embossed velvet towel are listed in Table 7. TABLE 7 FinishedTowel Specifications Dimensions 69 cm × 132 cm Plain portion in width 5.0 cm Terry portion in width  67.8 cm GSM 540 g/m² Weight of finishedtowel 491.83 g Weight of Grey Towel 558.90 g Weight loss (%) 12% Plainportion in length  2.40 cm Design portion in length  3.0 cm Terryportion in length 72.60 cm Shrinkage % 11%

[0057] It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims,the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural reference unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, alltechnical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings ascommonly understood by one of skill in the art to which the disclosedinvention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar orequivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice ortesting of the present invention, the preferred methods, devices, andmaterials are as described.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertainusing no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to thespecific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalentsare intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A process for making an embossed towel comprising weaving afilament formed of a heat shrinkable, water soluble material twistedwith cotton pile yarn with cotton pile yarn, ground warp, and weft yarnto form a towel, shrinking the water-soluble filament twisted withcotton pile yarn, shearing the cotton pile yarn, and dissolving thewater-soluble filament in the towel.
 2. The process of claim 1, whereinthe water-soluble filament has a count of 31 Dtex, 40 Dtex, 44 Dtex, 62Dtex, or 84 Dtex.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the cotton pileyarn has a count of 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s, or 2/24s.
 4. The process ofclaim 1, wherein the shrinking occurs in saturated steam.
 5. The processof claim 1, wherein the dissolving step comprises washing the towel inwater at a temperature ranging from 55-95° C.
 6. The process of claim 5,further comprising a second washing in water at a temperature of 95° C.7. The process of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable, water solublematerial is polyvinyl alcohol.
 8. The process of claim 1, wherein thecotton pile yarn is 100% cotton.
 9. A pile yarn comprisingheat-shrinkable, water-soluble filament twisted with cotton yarn,wherein the heat-shrinkable, water-soluble filament has a shrinkageranging from 35 to 60% when subjected to steaming under tension freeconditions and is capable of dissolving in water at a temperatureranging from 55° C. to 95° C.
 10. The pile yarn of claim 9, wherein theheat-shrinkable, water-soluble filament has a count of 31 Dtex, 40 Dtex,44 Dtex, 62 Dtex, or 84 Dtex.
 11. The pile yarn of claim 9, wherein thecotton pile yarn has a count of 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s, or 2/24s. 12.The pile yarn of claim 9, wherein the heat-shrinkable, water solublefilament comprises polyvinyl alcohol.
 13. The pile yarn of claim 9,wherein the cotton yarn is 100% cotton.
 14. A jacquard towel, whereinthe towel has a background at one height and a design at a secondheight.
 15. The towel of claim 14, wherein the background is shorterthan the design.